One crafty bitch…

Category Archives: Gnomes!

Wadder much? I’d hoped to have a blouse finished up to show you but it turned out badly. So badly that it’s not getting finished but shoved into the trash.

It was an easy blouse pattern that I’d seen other bloggers make, but when I tried it on the shoulders were so tight they stood up like I’d pulled out shoulder pads and they were the sad, unfilled skins of themselves. And I could not have raised my arms for love or money. AND it looked like I was wearing a mumu. So too small in the shoulders and mumu every where else. No, not getting finished – just tossed. Done. At least the fabric was from the stash pile.

Yummy!

Which gives me two pics to show you. The inside of my first replacement Gnome mitten so you can enjoy all the ends that need to be dealt with.

The second picture is my dinner. BFD you say. Hey, after the blouse debacle it was nice to make something I could use (eat in this case.) It’s pomegranate glazed tempeh with eggplant and sweet potato. I love it, so stop making that face. Recipe is from Super Natural Every Day if you want to make some too.

Some may remember that I’ve knit these gnomes before (October 2010 according to Ravelry). Why make them again? Because I lost them…sigh! I don’t lose things, that is so not me but with the multitude of illnesses heaped upon me these past two months, I was just not myself. My favorite mittens ever were in the pockets of my uniform coat and I left the coat (and mittens) on a plane the promptly went to Cancun. Sadly, I went to Miami. So not only am I out my fave mitts I now have to buy another uniform coat at about $150. Dang!

Well luckily the mittens are easily reproduced since the yarn from the first pair are more than adequate to make and second (and who knows how many more) pair. This is mitten #1 and my stranded knitting is still crappy. I worried when making the first pair that they would be all wonky but the wool grabs itself and they turn more solid with wear. Plus all those floats make for warm hands. A few pilots have borrowed them on cold days to do their walk around (the plane) before the flight. Aside: why do men not wear coats when it’s literally freezing outside but will wear a girl’s gnome mitts? Curious that. Rave reviews from all wearers btw.

So that is why I’m once again back on the gnome train. Adios old mitts, I hope you like Cancun!

Gnome mittens done just in time for…uh…winter…well not so much. It’s still kinda (alot warm), but they’re done anyway.

I followed the pattern and even used the yarn and colors called for. I figure SpillyJane’s got it all worked out, so why mess with that. I still have enough yarn to make about two more pairs of these mittens. Don’t all run for the exits at once. I really like these cute gnomes, and if I do make another pair (for me too) I’d make more ribbing and omit a set of gnomes. That way they’d be really tight for those super cold days waiting for the hotel shuttle in Detroit/Chicago/Buffalo in January. But as they are, they fit well and are very warm. I hope blocking will make the gnomes look less, well, lumpy.

Why, you ask? Uh, they’re GNOME MITTENS! How stinking cute are they? Would I have gnomes in the yard or wear a gnome Halloween costume? No. Gnome mittens? Sign me the freak up!

I’m even knitting them in navy blue, a color I never ever wear because I wear it at work all the darn time. But my gnomes look so cute in navy, and it goes with their eyes…

Plus, it’s good practice for my upcoming Norwegian yoke sweater. I don’t do much colorwork, so these mittens will give me some practice to get my tension less wonky. My gnomes will forgive wonky tension. They’re good like that.